Certification

=Competency Certification=

Open Badges Initiative Leads the way to Competency Certification

MacArthur Foundation

June, 2013: President Bill Clinton today announced a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action to massively expand access to a new method of academic and technical skills assessment known as Open Badges – online representations of earned knowledge and skills – to improve the futures of two million students and U.S. workers. - See more at: http://www.macfound.org/press/press-releases/better-futures-2-million-americans-through-open-badges/#sthash.YPkYnUTF.dpuf

Open Badges Web site

[|Western Governors University] According to their web site:

We’re Competency-Based, Not Credit Hour Based
Our online degrees are based on real-world competencies as opposed to seat time or credit hours. Our focus is on ensuring you possess the skills and knowledge you need to be successful, not whether you’ve attended class or not. ("Show us what you know, not how long you’ve been there.") You’ll be able to **take advantage of what you already know**. After all, your progress is determined by whether you can "prove" you know your stuff. If you can prove it sooner than later because of prior experience and education, perfect! You’ll be able to draw upon this experience to complete assessments faster, **ultimately saving you both time and money**.